Foreign media: Afghanistan is expected to join the "China-Pakistan Economic Corridor" under the "Belt and Road" initiative. The three foreign ministers' meeting among Afghanistan, China, and Pakistan was hosted by Beijing, which was a remarkable diplomatic progress reflecting the growing interest of the region in the Afghan issue. Afghanistan has abundant mineral resources, especially lithium, copper, and gold, which have great attraction for investment from all parties. China also regards Afghanistan as an important geographical link in the "Belt and Road" project because it can integrate into the land connection system between the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and Central Asian countries. In this context, Beijing encourages and supports infrastructure projects and strengthens regional transportation and energy networks passing through Afghan territory. As Pakistani writer Nusrat Javed pointed out, China "hopes to connect Afghanistan with Central Asian countries through the Gwadar Port, making it the endpoint of a vast trade corridor extending from Turkmenistan to Uzbekistan and Tajikistan." The economic part of the talks indicates that Beijing and Islamabad hope to gradually include Afghanistan in the "China-Pakistan Economic Corridor" (CPEC), which is the flagship project of the "Belt and Road" initiative. This ambition opens up bright prospects for Kabul's integration into regional road and energy networks and significant economic growth, especially when Western resources and investments are scarce. Muttaki called China "one of Afghanistan's most important economic partners," reflecting the Afghan government's desire to strengthen ties with Beijing. Deputy spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Zia Ahmad Tekle, also reported that China promised to facilitate the import of Afghan products and continue to provide economic and political support. On the other hand, economist and former Deputy Minister of Trade of Afghanistan, Muzamil Sinwari, explained that currently, China has two major projects in Afghanistan: oil extraction in the north and the copper mine project in the Elnak area, in addition, China shows increasing interest in obtaining mining rights for future strategic minerals such as lithium. By including Kabul in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, Beijing hopes to guide a large portion of Afghanistan's annual trade volume (estimated at $8 billion to $10 billion) to the Gwadar Port in Balochistan province, operated by China. Through the statement of the Taliban deputy spokesman, China reiterated that as long as there is appropriate political and security environment, Beijing "will not hesitate to provide any necessary support for Afghanistan's economic development." The Beijing trilateral meeting seems to lay the foundation for a new regional transformation integrating security, economy, and politics. In terms of security, the meeting showed positive signs of improved coordination among the three countries, especially in border control and combating illegal armed groups. This can limit the spread of chaos and provide Afghanistan with an opportunity to re-prioritize its agenda. Nasir Ahmed Andisha, Afghanistan's permanent representative to the United Nations in Geneva, said that the Taliban joining the CPEC project is a great success for the three parties. Economically, cooperation between Pakistan and Kabul is expected to help alleviate the pressure on Afghanistan through infrastructure support, investment, and trade facilitation. Source: aljazeera Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1833326553984003/ Disclaimer: The article represents the author's personal views.